Safety apparatus for elevators



. Jun e 151923..

v 1,458,790 P. J. WOO-LDRIDGE SAFETY APPARATUS FOR ELEVATORS.

Original Filed May10 19,19

INVENTOR.

KM a? 3 x BY 1 ,J.

Li, ATTORNEY.

WITNESS:

June 12, 1923. 1.458390 P. J. WOOLDRIDGE I SAFETY APPARATUS 'FOR ELEVATORS Original Filed May 10 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4/ I? f! 7 70 x z; ATTORNEY.

Patented J une IZ, 1923,

rowHA'r'An a. wootnnrnen, Gamma vattnmx'iin'ruoky."

f SAFETY APPARATUS FOR E AT R 1 Application filed May 1o, 1919, Serial Nonsense. Renewed November 1,1922, Serial no. 598,437. j

To all whom itmaiy concern.

Be it known, that I, PowrrA'rANrJ; \VooL- mnnon, a citizenof the United States, residing in Pewee Valley, Oldham County, Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Safety Apparatus for Elevators,-fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same. i My invention relatesto safety apparatus for elevators, for interrupting the propulsion of the car when ashaftrdoor is opened with the car near the corresponding landing, and in some cases, for preventingthe door from opening except when the car. is close to thecorresponding landing.

A principal object of theinvention'is: to provide stoppng means, ror,.otherwise eX- pressed, propulsion interrupting means, which acts with certainty,and without arring the car, to discontinue*propulson, or to prevent thestarting ofthe car after propulsion has been' discontinued, when the door is opened with thecar near thecorresponding landing, and which will beefiective when the car has come to a complete stop or is still oscillating within reasonable limitsnear the landing at the moment the door is opened. Another object is to provide simplified and improved means, cooperating with the stopping means,'to prevent the door from being opened unless the elevator is near the corresponding landing. Another objectis to im prove and simplify in certain respects the invention set forth in my application, Serial No. 265,194,.filed December a, 1918, for Safe-I ty apparatus for elevators. I a

The objects, characteristics and advantages; of my invention will be further'explained so far as is necessary in connection with the following detailed description of an exemplifying structure embodying the invention. After considering this, it will be understood that the-invention may be embodied in other forms, and I do not limit myself a).

' details except asclaimed. In the. drawings Fig 1 is a front-elevation of an elevator car carrying part of the mechanism embodying the invention; i

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the mechanism' carried by the car; 1

Fig. 3 is an elevation of part of a shaft door and 'doo-r' casing'looking toward the shaft, showing in section th a of the I mechanism located in door; and

the'shaft and on the F ig. 4 is a horizontal section of the same forming a part of the control circuit, or else showing alsoa portion'o-fthe carand' the constituting'a: special safety circuit, so ar ranged that when it is broken, the control circuitof the car will be broken, to interrupt propulsion of the car, and, if desired, the

brake will also be applied.

At a convenient place on the car," in this instance on the top near one corner, is a circuit-breaking mechanism supported by" frame 10. At the top and bottom has sockets or guides 11 in which 1 s 12, 13, are mounted toreciprocatathe rods being inthis-c'ase. of rectangular form; Rod'1'2 has a' part 14 bent at 'a right angle, and rod 13 has a similar part 15. Between the members 14' and 15 are arranged a; series of circuit-break er-operating plates, or strips, 16 which have their operative ends bevelled at top and loot:v

tom at, 17 forming on each plate a point 18. Theseries of plates thushas a'serrated operative'edge. Vertical guide rods-20, 21, are I secured to member 15 and extend up through:

sili dably fitting holes in plates 16 andin upper member li. Rod 20 is provided at its topv with a contact 22 insulated from-the rod at 23; Member 14 carries a bracket 25, insulated at 26, and the bracket is provided with a contact 27'to cooperate with contact 22 to open and close the, safety, or stopping, cir- "cuit, K5

The-circuit breaker plates 16 with their top and bottom plates 14 and 15 and their guide rods,' 'are normally held together and properly located in the stationary frame 10 v by' the following means: A rod 30 is connectedjto bottom plate 15 and passes through a-guide sleeve '31 carried by frame 10, and I also passes through a hole in frame member, 32. I The rod is provided with a stop 33 a r-' ranged to strike the bottom of sleeve 31 and I limit upward movement-of the breakerele mentsh This stopv also serves as an abut'in'ent arm 45 near roller 53.

for spring 34, which surrounds the rod and is compressed between the stop 33 and frame member 32. Another guide rod 35 is connected to top plate 14 and passes through a guide sleeve 36 carried by frame 10 and also through frame member 31', and is provided with a stop 38 to engage the top of sleeve 36 and limit downward movement of the breaker group, and with a spring 39 compressed between stop 38 and frame member 37. In some cases, the rods 30 and may be'provided with nuts 40 arranged below and above the frame members 32 and 37, respectively, and in this case, the nuts will serve to limit movement of the breaker group, and the stops 38 may them be adjusted to different positions on the rods to vary the spring action.

If any device of moderate thickness is passed between any two of the plates 16, they are forced apart, and top plate 14 is moved away from bottom plate 15, and the controlling circuit is broken at the contacts 22, 27.

This stopping action is performed by an operating arm movably supported at. a suitable place in the shaft near a door'D. In the present instance, the arm 45 is located in the shaft door casing above the top of the door. The arm is supported by a guide plate 46 secured to the door casing, as by screws 47. Inthe plate isa guide slot 48 having art 49parallel to the door, and another" 'art 50 at-a right angle to the first. The breaker operating arm is connected by bolts 51 with a plate 52 which lies below guide plate 46 while arm 45 lies above it. On the bolts are mounted rollers 53, 53, which travel in the guide slot 48. Arm 45 has at the end near the rollers a lug 54, arranged to be engaged by roller 55 mounted on a stud 56, which is carried by a plate 57 secured to the top of the door. Lug 54 is shaped to partially surround roller 55 when the door is closed, and terminates in an end member 54 A spring 58 is connected at one end to a fixed point, such as a screw stud 59, which is screwed into a plate .60 in the well, and at the other end to an eye 61 on The operative part of arm 45 is, as best shown in- Fig. 2, in the shape of a thin wedge or blade with its edge directed toward the ends of breaker plates 16.

When the car is close to a landing and coming to rest after power has been cut off, it may drift slowly for a short distance before it stops completely. and in some cases,

especially where the caris supported by longcables or a long hydraulic column, it may oscillate several times up and down before it comes completely to rest. Regardless of whether the car is completely stopped or is moving moderately, so long as itis substantially opposite the landing or within a distance measurable by the vertical extent offace 49 of the guide slot, and thereupon the combined effect of the push of the roller and the pull of spring 58 is to move roller 53 down to the end of branch 50 of the slot, while roller 53* travels to the end of branch 49 of the slot. That is to say, after a slight linear movement to the left, the arm pivots about a shifting point somewhere between rollers 53 and 53, and swings out into contact with the points of breaker plates 16, and engages between two of the points, and then by acting on the bevelled faces 17 of the adjacent plates, forces the plates apart, and finally the arm assumes approximately the position in which it is shown inZFig. 2. As arm 45 nears its final outward position, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, roller 55 cooperates with end member 54 of lug 54 to positively complete the outward movement of the arm, and thereafter the roller is released, so that opening movement of the door can be completed, as fully explained by the dotted.lines.- Spring 58 then retains withdrawn, the safety circuit K is broken at the contacts 22, 27, and the driving circuit is interrupted if it was closed at that moment, or if it was not closed, it is prevented from being closed to drive the car in either direction, and the car comes to rest as soon as its slight drift or oscillation above referred to ceases. The movement of the car within reasonable limits after arm 45 engages between any two of the breaker plates is permitted by the movement of the breaker group, comprising plates 16, top and bottom plates 14, 15, rods 12, 13, 30 and 35 in relation to the frame 10 fixed on the car. Springs 34 and 39 yield sufliciently to permit this movement. and after arm 45 is withdrawn, if the breaker group was held away from the central position in relation tov the frame 10, by "tl e arm, these springs return the breaker group to normal position.

The arm is withdrawn by the closing movement of the door, which first causes roller 55 to strike the arm and swing it so that first roller 53 moves to the right along' part 49 of the guide sl'ot,'and then roller 53 moves up through part 50, of the slot and then along bevelled face 49 and finally spring 58 assists in pulling the arm back to its normal position, as shown'in Fig. 4, and; by theaction of lug 54 on roller 55 assists- 45 as the arm isflwithdrawn, which assists in moving the arm quickly away from its final engagement with the plates.

The safety, or stopping, circuit K is thereupon reestablished at the contacts 22 and 27, and the-car may be operated as usual.

It is desirable insome cases to provide means for preventing opening the door unarranged to cooperate with a tooth 75 formed on the upper end of stud 56. The latch member also has near the latchaface 76 arranged to engagethe back of'stud 56 when thedoor is closed; The latch member is acted upon by a spring 77 coiled about stud 71 and having one end engaged with the latch member, and the otherfend engaged with. stud 59 :so. as to urge the latch member to rotate counterclockwise in Fig. 4. If it is attempted :to open the: door when the velevator is nearly opposite the landing, rail 73 is opposite..arm;72 of the latch member, and when the tooth 75 of stud 56.moves to the left, contact of arm 7 2 with the rail 73 prevents hook 74 moving inward sufliciently to engage the door, and the door may be opened freely. But if the car is not in" properpositiomthe absence of rail 73 permits the arm-72 to swing outward when the back of-the stud 56 moves away from' part 76' of the latch member to bring latch 74into engagement with'tooth 7 5" and prevent further" movement of the door. On return ofthe door to fully closed position, the latch member is caused to swing back to normal positionenti'rely away from possible contact with any *part of the car by reengagement of the back of stud 56 with part 76 of the latch-member.

An important feature of the invention is that all the parts of the safety mechanism which are located inthe shaft, are

outside of the path of movement of'the car and of any parts carried by the car, and

are in fact outside the inner limits of the shaft, except when it is attempted to open a door. Unnecessary contact between parts of the safety mechanism located on the car and in the shaft is thus avoided, and the chance of breakage reduced to a minimum.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with an 'elevator shaft, a shaft door, a car,'-and electrical car controlling means including a circuit, the invitli the breakerv and to maintain said I Q. The combination with an; elevator:

guide supporting said member for an'initial longltudinal and subsequent swinging m0ve-, 1

terruption of which is efl'ectiveto stopthe 7 car, of a breaker for said circuit, and means actuated by the door. when the car isnearthe I corresponding landing to positively engage and actuate the breaker regardlessof slight" .movement of the car adjacent to the land-l ing and to remain in positive engagement .cir-

cuit openuntil the door isclosedh shaft, a shaft door, a ca r,and electrical. car controlling means lncluding acircuit, the in- ,terruption of which is effective tostop the car, of a breaker for said circuit, and means actuated by the door when the car isnearthe43 corresponding landing to positively engage 3 and actuate the breaker regardless of slight movement of the car adjacent to the landing and to remain in positive engagement with said breaker and to maintain said air- 5 cuit open until the door is-closed, said means -when inactive .being entirely outside the pathofycanmovement in the shaft.

3. The combination withan. elevator; shaft, a shaft door, a car, ,carpropelling means, and means for'controllingthe propelling means, of automatic stopping-means actingupon the controlling: means, comprisingtwo or more separable members carried by the car, andv an extensible-member 'located on the shaft and actuatedby opening of the door to ent'er.='between -two of said separable members and Push-'Ythem apart and'thereby interrupt propulsion of the car until the door is closed. 4. The combination; with an elevator shaft, a shaft door, a car, 'car propelling means 'and means for controlling the pro.

pelling means, of automatic stopping means acting upon' the controlling means, comprismg twoor more separable members carried by the car, an extensible member located onthe shaft and actuated by'opening of the door to separate two of said separable'mem- 'bers and interrupt propulsion of the car until the door is closed,and means support- I ing said separable members movably in relation to the; car to permit moderate movement-of the car while said extensible mem ber isin engagement with the separable members. v 1 we The combination with -anfl elevator shaftfa shaft door,-"a car, car propelling means, and means for controlling the propelling means, of automatic stopping means acting upon the controlling means, comprising a fixed frame. on the car, a group of vertically arranged separable members flexi- I bly supported in the fixed frame, the outward ends of said members being mutually 1 shaped to provide notches communicating with the meeting surfaces of the members, an operating member located on theshaft, a

merit to bring it into engagement with said separable members, a spring resisting movement of said member, and a member carried by the doorto move said operating member to active and inactive positions.

'6. The combination with an elevator shaft, a shaft door, a car, and electrical controlling means,-comprising a safety circuit,

movement of the door. for moving said arm into engagement with said separable members to open said contact.

7. The combination with an elevator shaft, shaft door, a car, and electrical controlling means comprising a safety circuit, of a separable-contact in said safety circuit,

a plurality of separable, pointed members arranged to open said contact, means for closing said contact, a swinging arm supported in the shaf means actuated by movement of thedoor for moving said arm into engagement with said separable members to open said contact, and means for snpgorting said separable members movably' in relation to the car to permit moderate movement of the car while saidarm is in engagement "with the separable members.

8. The combination with an elevator shaft, a shaft door, a car, electric controlling mechanism including a safety circuit, and circuit-breaking mechanism carried by the car, of operating :mechanism located in the shaft comprising a guide plate having a guide slot comprising portions arranged at an angle to each other, a swinging arm having studs located in said slot, a part arranged to cooperate with the breaker mechanism and a lug, a member carried by the door and arranged to cooperatewithsaid arm and lug to move the arm to operative and inoperative position, and a spring urging the arm to inoperative position. I

9. In elevator mechanism, the combination with safety means acting upon opening the door to interrupt propulsion of the car, of a door latch normally active to engage a member carried by the door to prevent opening the same, and an abutment carried by the car of substantial vertical length acting when the car is nearly opposite the corresponding landing to render the latch inactive. Y

10. In elevator mechanism, the combination with a shaft, ashaft door, and car, of

a safety door-locking member pivoted in 'a gaging'de'vice and to project said arm into the shaft, means -on the door for restraining such movement when the door is fully-closed and for holding saidmem'ber so that it is entirely outside the inner limitsof the shaft, and an abutment carried by the car of substantial vertical length arranged to cooperate with said'armwhemthe car is nearthe landing and thedoor is=opened=to prevent locking engagement of said latch with said latch engaging device.

11. The combination with "an elevator shaft, a shaft door, a car, and electrical controlling means, comprising .a safety circuit,

of a separable contact in said safety circuit,

a plurality of separable, pointed members arranged to open said contact, means for closing said contact, a horizontally swingingzarm supported in \the shaft, and means actuatedby movement of the'door for moving said arm into engagement with said separable members to-open said contact.

12. The combination with an elevator shaft, a shaft door, and a car, of a safety device located on the car and operable to interrupt propulsion of the car, a horizontally swinging operating member mounted on the shaft adjacent saiddoor, and means whereby the openingof said door said memher is caused to swing in a horizontal plane into engagement withisaidsafety device to bring the same into operation.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntoset my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PO'WHATA'N J. \VOOLDRIDGE.

. A. KE T. 

